Cisco offers an extensive catalog of wireless LAN products and software tools designed to enable anywhere, anytime connections to data and other resources and to promote teamwork among workers, associates, vendors, and clients. Cisco's wireless product families include Cisco's Small Business, Aironet and Meraki series of wireless access points, plus Cisco's Wireless LAN Controller plug-ins and appliances. Progent's certified wireless consultants can help businesses of any size to deploy Cisco wireless products to accommodate the new model of Bring-Your-Own-Device networks by integrating their wired and wireless environments to benefit from easy configuration, consistent and fast performance, single-point management, uniform policy, high availability, and across-the-board security.

The Cisco Unified Wireless architecture can expand to up to 18,000 wireless access points with Layer 3 mobility at local or offsite venues like business headquarters, university auditoriums, branches, and telecommuter homes. Cisco's 802.11x access points and wireless controllers are part of Cisco's Unified Wireless Network and are engineered to deliver the same level of protection, performance, and manageability for WLANs that businesses demand in their wired ecosystem. This technology includes integrated mobile services like Voice over IP, high-definition IP video, and secure guest access. Cisco's Unified Wireless Network technology allows companies to build wireless ecosystems that improve the way they work and improve output through a dynamic and collaborative workforce.
Progent's Cisco-certified network consultants offers online or onsite expertise to assist your organization to design, configure, maintain, upgrade, and troubleshoot converged wired/wireless networks of all sizes and for any environment. Also, Progent offers economical remote and on-premises Wi-Fi site surveys to assist you to design and install a Wi-Fi network with custom-designed AP clusters optimized for your specific work area layout, building structure, and application workloads.
Cisco Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst Wireless Access Points
Cisco's Small Business, Aironet, Meraki and Catalyst families of wireless access points enable organizations to converge wired/wireless infrastructure to provide the accessibility, density, throughput, security and manageability needed to support practically any environment. These APs range from entry-level, single-band 802.11b/g/n units with throughput of 300 Mb designed for small companies or telecommuters to Wi-Fi 6 APs capable of handling hundreds of clients on each access point and offering sustained throughput in excess of 5 Gbps. Cisco's current selection of access points can be clustered to deliver the scale to support wireless networks crowded with clients and with high usage rates of video-intense application software.
Cisco Small Business Family of APs
Cisco's Small Business 100, 300 and 500 Series of APs are Linux-powered units designed as value-priced Wi-Fi APs for light workloads. Many models in the Cisco Small Business portfolio of APs support Cisco's Single Point Setup technology, which makes it possible to configure, manage and troubleshoot a cluster of access points from one device through an intuitive browser-based tool. All of the models include Power over Ethernet and feature QoS, rogue AP awareness, and bridging for connecting to a second network.
The Cisco Small Business WAP121 Access Point is a wallmount, single-band 2.4GHz unit that can support 16 802.11b/g/n wireless clients, has a Fast Ethernet port, allows up to four access pointss and 40 wireless clients per cluster, and can handle sustained data rates of 300 Mbps. The Cisco Small Business WAP131 is a desktop dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n AP able to support 16 active wireless clients on each radio for a total of up to 32 clients, features a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface, and can support sustained data rates of 300 Mbps per radio. The WAP131 does not support AP clustering. The Cisco Small Business WAP150 is an entry-level dual-radio 802.11ac/n access point that includes a 1xGE Poe port and can support up to 16 clients from each radio with 867 Mbps throughput for AC devices and 300 Mbps for 802.11n devices. The Cisco WAP1501 allows four APs for each cluster.
The Cisco Small Business WAP321 Wireless-N AP is a wall-mountable selectable-band (2.4 or 5 GHz) 802.11n unit that can handle up to 80 active clients sharing an 8-AP cluster. The WAP321 features a Gigabit Ethernet port and can deliver throughput of 300 Mbps for the selected radio. The Cisco Small Business WAP351 is a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11n AP with a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch and can handle 32 active wireless clients on each radio for a total of up to 64 active clients, and support throughput of 300 Mbps for each radio. The WAP351 does not support clustering. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 is a dual-band 2.4/5 GHz 802.11ac wireless access point that includes a 5-port Gigabit Ethernet switch, can support 32 clients on each radio, and delivers 867 Mbps throughput for 802.11ac devices and 300 Mbps performance for 802.11n devices. Cisco's Small Business WAP361 allows eight WAP361 access points for each cluster. Cisco's wallmount WAP371 Wireless-AC/N is a dual-radio device that supports 802.11a/b/g/n and the latest 802.11ac IEEE standard. The WAP371 includes a 10/100/1000 Ethernet port, can support up to 32 active clients per radio, and eight access points for each cluster.
The Cisco WAP561 802.11n Dual Radio access point features a Gigabit Ethernet port and dual radios (2.4 and 5.0 GHz) that deliver 450 Mbps throughput per radio, support 64 devices for each radio, and allow 16 APs per cluster. The Cisco WAP551 is like the WAP 561 but features a single selectable band. Cisco's WAP571 and WAP571E (a ruggedized outdoor version) are dual-radio 802.11ac Wave 1 APs incorporating two Gb Ethernet ports with link aggregation (LAG), and as high as 1.9 Gbps performance with 1300 Mbps on 11ac and 600 Mbps over 11n. Both units support 32 clients on each radio and 16 APs per cluster.

Cisco's Small Business WAP581 Wireless-AC Dual Radio Wave 2 AP complies with the 802.11ac standard and offers 4x4 and 3x3 MU-MIMO to provide 2.8 Gbps data rates at 5 GHz and 0.6 Gbps on the 2.4-GHz radio for a total max throughput of 2.4 Gbps. The WAP581 includes an integrated 2.5G Ethernet LAN interface and a 10/100/1000 Ethernet interface with 802.3at PoE. Cisco's WAP581 Wave 2 Wi-Fi 5 AP supports as many as 200 connective users, up to 50 active users per radio, 16 APs per cluster, and 960 active users for each cluster.
For more information about Progent's consulting services for both current and older Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 family of wireless access points, refer to Cisco Small Business 100, 300 and 500 wireless APs planning and support.
The Aironet Line of Access Points

The Aironet line of indoor and outdoor wireless APs has for years been the top-selling AP solution. Aironet access points run the gamut from value-priced entry-level models to advanced APs. The Aironet series span multiple generations of devices supporting the continually improving 802.11x Wi-Fi specification. The latest line of Aironet wireless access points support Cisco's Unified Wireless Network software and incorporate 802.11ac technology, which delivers triple the performance as well as superior range and user density compared to the prior generation of APs. The current dual-band Aironet access points continue to accommodate 802.11n at 2.4 GHz for clients that lack 802.11ac capability.
The earliest Aironet APs are legacy devices that have come to end-of-life status and are not supported by Cisco. Progent still offers support for the entire Aironet line of APs and can help you to maintain your existing Aironet wireless environment or move cost effectively to the latest Aironet technology. For more information about Progent's consulting services for current and legacy Aironet access points, see Cisco Aironet wireless access points planning and support.
Meraki Wireless Access Points
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Cisco's family of Meraki 2.4/5 GHz indoor wireless access points range from budget-friendly devices for general use to enterprise-class products that offer as high as 5.9 Gigabit per second performance. Each Cisco Meraki indoor AP provides high-end capabilities such as plug-and-play installation, in-depth security, Bring-Your-Own-Device support, built-in analytics, zero-touch web-based updates, and centralized cloud management for multiple sites. Every Cisco Meraki indoor AP also includes two high-power radios with enhanced reception as well as a separate radio that offers (WIDS/WIPS) security for threat detection and deep packet inspection at line rate.
Meraki outdoor wireless access points are IP67 rated, designed to withstand rugged outdoor conditions, and tested to resist dust particles, shock and humidity. Cisco's Meraki outdoor APs include a 1 x Gbit Ethernet port and deliver advanced capabilities such as cloud-based management with network-wide visibility and control, native Active Directory integration, built-in antivirus scan (NAC), 1-click secure guest access and isolation firewall, application-aware traffic shaping, plus self-configuring mesh with beamforming. To find out more about Progent's support for Meraki access points and management tools, refer to Meraki access points consulting services.
Cisco's Catalyst 9100 Family of Wi-Fi 6 and W-Fi 6E Access Points

Cisco's Catalyst 9100 family of Wi-Fi 6/6E APs are intended for deployments ranging from home offices to high-density enterprise campuses. Cisco Catalyst 9100 access points are compliant with the 802.11ax specification, known as Wi-Fi 6, which in turn builds on the preceding 802.11ac (Wi-Fi 5) specification. Unlike 802.11ac, Wi-Fi 6 is able to use both the 2.4-Ghz and 5-GHz bands. Headline enhancements supported by Cisco Catalyst 9100 Series access points include MU-MIMO support for uplink traffic, dual NAVs for better reliability, increased device sleep time for reduced power consumption in battery-dependent endpoints, adaptive power thresholds for better spectrum use, and dynamic fragmentation for reduced overhead. Cisco Catalyst 9100 Wi-Fi 6 APs support Cisco's Embedded Wireless Controller, handle as many as 400 client users per radio, and run on Cisco IOS XE Software.
Cisco's Catalyst 9160 Series Wi-Fi 6E APs are the first Cisco access points to offer the option of being monitored and managed either on-site with Cisco DNA Center platform or via the cloud by using Meraki Dashboard management utilities. This permits businesses to move to cloud-based or hybrid management environments at their own pace. All Cisco's Catalyst 916x access points comply with the a/b/g/n/ac/ax and 6E Wi-Fi specifications and support the 6-GHz band. Each device has 5 radios and supports as many as 400 clients on each radio. Each model also features a dedicated radio for Cisco CleanAir Pro for mitigating interference, comes with a USB 2.0 port, and offers Bluetooth Low Energy. The entry-level Catalyst 9162 Series access point is intended for small organizations, has three 2x2 radios, and provides 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet support.
Cisco's Catalyst 9163E Wi-Fi 6E AP is built for harsh outside venues like campus environments or stadiums. The 9163E includes three client serving 2x2 radios, an IoT radio, and a tri-band scanning radio. Interfaces include 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet, a management console port (RJ-45), 4x N-Type Wi-Fi antenna connectors, and an RP-SMA active GPS/GNSS antenna connector. The 9163E supports Omnidirectional Dipole Self-Identifying Antennas. Cisco's Catalyst 9164 Series AP is suited for small and middle-size organizations, includes one 2x2 radio and two 4x4 radios, and features 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G mGig Ethernet. The Catalyst 9166 Series access point is intended for large and mid-sized organizations, has three 4x4 radios, and offers 1x 100M/1000M/2.5G/5G mGig Ethernet support. The 9166 also has environmental sensors to measure air quality, temperature, and moisture. For more information about Progent's consulting services for Catalyst 9100 Family of 802.11ax APs, see Wi-Fi 6/6E APs system planning, deployment, and management consulting.
Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers
Cisco Catalyst 9800 family of Wi-Fi 6-supported wireless controllers help you automate and manage advanced wireless environments that incorporate 802.11ax access points. The 802.11ax standard, aka Wi-Fi 6, builds on prior generation 802.11ac (called Wi-Fi 5) devices by delivering less latency and more predictable performance, supporting higher client density, providing enhanced protection, conserving energy for battery-powered handheld devices, and allowing more flexibility for handling the latest types of Internet-of-Things endpoints. Catalyst 9800 line Wi-Fi controllers include always-on availability with seamless software upgrades, live fixes, and the ability to add APs without downtime. Advanced cybersecurity technologies include Encrypted Traffic Analytics (ETA), image signing, and Cisco Software-Defined Access. Streaming telemetry permits you to monitor and understand network and client health.
All devices in the Catalyst 9800 family are based on Cisco's IOS XE Software and work with Cisco's DNA Center (DNAC) or with Cisco Prime Infrastructure network management platforms. Catalyst 9800 Series wireless LAN controllers can manage Cisco Aironet 802.11ac Wave 1 and Wave 2 APs as well as Catalyst 9100 802.11ax wireless APs. For details about Progent's support for Cisco 9800 Series 802.11ax Wi-Fi 6 Wireless Controllers, see Cisco Catalyst 9800 line of Wi-Fi 6 wireless LAN controllers system planning, deployment, and debugging consulting.
Cisco Wi-Fi 5 Wireless Network Controllers
Cisco Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers enable realtime data exchange, deployment, management, analysis and troubleshooting for Cisco Wi-Fi appliances and services. Cisco has developed both hardware and virtual wireless controllers for centralized administration of wireless environments, but WLANs with many wireless APs typically require physical wireless controllers. Current generation wireless controller devices from Cisco offer significant advantages in comparison to Wave 1 and older products such as greater performance, simultaneous support for 1G and 10G interfaces, improved application visibility and control, and advanced, built-in security.
The Cisco 3504 Wireless Controller is a value-priced device available in a desktop form factor and intended for smaller organizations. You can use the 3504 model in a centralized network environment such as in lean branch and home-based offices managed across the WAN with Cisco FlexConnect, or in mesh installations where wiring is limited. The 3504 Wi-Fi controller supports up to 150 APs and 3,000 clients, offers 4 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. Cisco's 3504 WiFi controller includes a multi-gigabit Ethernet interface (up to 5 Gigabit Ethernet) and four 1-Gigabit Ethernet interfaces. Access points can be attached to the controller through two Power over Ethernet ports. The 3504 wireless controller offers fast failover for APs and users, which allows uninterrupted availability for apps. As with other Wave 2 Wi-Fi controllers available from Cisco, the 3504 model has the built-in capability to work with Cisco Prime Infrastructure, Cisco Mobility Services, and Cisco 5520 and 8540 WLAN controllers.
The Cisco 5520 Wireless Controller, available in a 1RU package, is intended to support midsize to large enterprises and campus networks and can be used in centralized, distributed, and mesh architectures. The 5520 Wi-Fi controller can handle as many as 1,500 wireless APs and 20,000 client users, offers 20 Gbps performance, and supports 4,096 VLANs. The 5520 model controller features two 10 GE ports and incorporates SSD storage, redundant fans, optional backup power supplies, and rapid failover for nonstop availability.
Cisco's 8540 Wireless Controller, available in a 2 rack unit form factor, is a high-end wireless controller designed to support enterprises, service providers, and large campuses. The 8540 WiFi controller can be run in centralized, distributed, and mesh deployments and can handle up to 6,000 Wi-Fi access points and 64,000 client users. The 8540 WiFi controller offers data rates up to 40 Gbps and supports up to 4,096 VLANs. The 8340 includes four 1-GB or 10GE ports and features solid-state storage, redundant power supplies, backup fans, and rapid failover.
Wave 1 Cisco Wireless LAN Controllers
Cisco wireless LAN controllers reduce the time and expense required to deploy, manage, and troubleshoot Wi-Fi networks by offering single-point control of functions like setting up APs, applying consistent policies across converged wired and wireless LANs, supporting enterprise-wide Quality of Service (QoS) for voice and video, tracking and troubleshooting network health, implementing wireless intrusion prevention system (wIPS) tools to defend against unauthorized access and Distributed Denial of Service attacks, and handling IPv6 and dual-stack clients. Cisco has designed wireless network controllers for businesses of any size and offers standalone desktop controllers, modular plug-in wireless controllers for Cisco ISR routers and Catalyst switches, and Catalyst switches with built-in wireless network controllers.
Cisco's Wave 1 WiFi controllers incorporate Cisco CleanAir tools to avoid RF interference and create self-healing wireless LANs for top 802.11n and 802.11ac throughput and security. Built-in Apple Bonjour Gateways allow discovery and policy across the enterprise for Apple-based applications. For high availability, Cisco wireless network controllers allow wireless access point and client stateful failover by enabling a backup high-availability controller to synch with a main wireless controller for AP license count, CAPWAP state and roaming keys, and AP CAPWAP state. In case the primary controller goes down, thousands of wireless access points and clients can failover in less than a second to the backup controller.
Cisco's Wireless Module for ISR G2 Routers with UCS-E offers entry-level 802.11n and 802.11ac capability for 2900 and 3900 routers used by smaller organizations and branch offices. This value-priced and expandable solution can support from five to 200 access points and as many as 6000 wireless clients. (For information about Progent's online and onsite consulting services for Cisco routers, refer to Cisco router deployment and management consulting.)
Cisco Catalyst 3650 Series are 1RU switches intended for SMBs and branch offices and have an integrated wireless controller with the ability to handle up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput for each switch and up to 25 access points and 1000 clients on each switch. Catalyst 3850 Series are 1RU rackmount switches intended for mid-size businesses and large enterprises and feature an integrated wireless LAN controller supporting up to 40 Gb of wireless throughput per switch and support for up to 50 APs and 2000 clients. The WiSM2 is a plug-in blade for Cisco Catalyst 6500 Series switches that include a built-in wireless network controller designed for mid-to-large size enterprises and capable of 20 Gbps throughput and with support for up to 1000 wireless access points and up to 15,000 wireless clients. (To find out about Progent's online and onsite consulting support for Catalyst switches, refer to Cisco Catalyst switches deployment and troubleshooting support.)
Cisco 2500 Wireless Controllers are value-priced desktop devices that simplify the deployment and management of wireless networks for small and midsize businesses and branches. The Cisco 2500 Series wireless controller can manage 5 to 75 wireless access points and 1000 clients and can deliver throughput of up to 1 Gbps.
Cisco's 5500 Series Wireless Controller is an expandable 1RU appliance intended for medium-sized to large enterprises and campuses and can manage 500 access points and 7,000 wireless clients while providing 8 Gbps performance. The Cisco 5760 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device intended for mid-to-large campuses with the ability to manage 1000 APs and 12,000 clients and delivering performance of 60 Gbps to accommodate high wireless client densities and high amounts of video-intensive mobile applications.
Cisco's Flex 7500 Wireless Controller is intended to enable centralized management of thousands of wireless branches from a single location, eliminating the costs of a Wi-Fi controller at each remote site. The 1RU Flex 7500 lets you create a private cloud to deploy, track, manage, and troubleshoot as many as 6000 wireless access points and 64,000 clients while supporting 1 Gbps throughput. Cisco's 8500 Series Wireless Controller is a 1RU device engineered to monitor and control Wi-Fi environments for large campuses or service providers and can be expanded to handle 6000 APs and 64,000 clients while delivering 10 Gbps performance.
For more information about Cisco WiFi controllers, visit Cisco wireless controllers consulting and integration.
Legacy Cisco Access Points, Bridges and Controllers Supported by Progent
The introduction of the 802.11ac standard for wireless connectivity largely made obsolete all earlier generations of Wi-Fi devices for many venues that support high numbers of wireless clients and high incidence of HD video software applications. Even for organizations who do not require the bandwidth efficiency of 802.11ac, many of Cisco wireless products have arrived at end-of-life status, which can present serious maintenance and regulatory compliance issues. Progent's Cisco-certified consultants offer online and on-premises support for a wide array of earlier-generation wireless products from Cisco. Progent can in addition help companies to evaluate the financial justification for updating up-of-date wireless technology and can assist in planning and carrying out cost-effective, seamless upgrades. Below are a few of Cisco older-generation Wi-Fi devices that Progent's consulting experts continue to support.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless Access Points
Cisco Aironet 1000 or 1130AG Series APs are intended for offices and other sites which have minimal environmental variability. These access points have built-in antennas that provide dependable radio range patterns. The Aironet 1130G Series product is offered for regulated locations that do not allow 802.11a/5GHz operation.
Cisco Aironet 1230AG or 1240AG Series APs are ideal for more challenging radio frequency environments such as manufacturing plants or above suspended ceilings which often call for flexible protruding antennas and durable enclosures. The Aironet 1240G Series product is designed for regulatory domains that do not permit 5GHz transmission.
Aironet 1500 Series lightweight outside wireless mesh LAN access points provide an economical, scalable, secure outdoor wireless technology for enterprise campuses and for public venues that require connectivity for portable phones or computers.
Legacy Cisco Aironet Wireless LAN Bridges
Cisco Aironet wireless bridges provide a high-performance and multi-featured solution for integrating multiple LANs in a metropolitan situation or public access network. Cisco Aironet wireless LAN bridges offer a versatile, manageable solution that satisfies the security demands of public networking specialists. These devices handle both point-to-point and PMP implementations with excellent coverage and support for data rates up to 54 Mbps.
Cisco Aironet wireless bridges deliver throughput substantially faster than E1/T1 links for far less expense, erasing the necessity of costly leased lines when linking separate offices. Because wireless bridges carry no recurring costs, the expenses saved on leased-line bills quickly pay for the startup equipment costs. Self-installed private lines and even leased lines using metal or optical cable can require very expensive initial costs if they are separated by barriers like freeways, train tracks, or lakes and rivers. Cisco wireless bridges can be installed rapidly an offer a fast return on investment.
Cisco 1300 family outdoor access points/bridges can be deployed as independent wireless access points, wireless bridges, or wireless group bridges. These products have a ruggedized cover and provide high-speed, cost-effective wireless connectivity between numerous fixed or mobile networks and clients.
Cisco Aironet 1400 family bridges provide high-speed, dependable outdoor connections for LOS applications. These devices are housed in an all-weather enclosure that can hold up to harsh outdoor conditions and can function in broad temperature ranges.
Legacy Cisco Wireless Controllers
Cisco Wireless Network Controllers provide single-point management of wireless LANs by simplifying the control of common functions including integrated intrusion prevention system (IPS), real-time RF control, automatic deployment, and full N+1 redundancy. Wireless Network controllers work with lightweight access points to deliver enhanced performance and high-end administration functions.
Cisco WLAN Controllers provide the control, scalability, security, and resilience that system managers require to create safe, large-scale wireless solutions, from branch offices to small businesses to headquarter campuses. Cisco's first-generation Wireless Controllers can be clustered to offer accommodation for up to 2400 wireless access points for each roaming domain.
Cisco's WLCM or WLCM-E Wireless LAN Controller Module for Integrated Services Routers offers small-to mid-size businesses and large corporations a cost effective solution to implement and manage protected wireless networks at branch offices. These controllers supervise as many as twelve Aironet wireless access points and are installable in 2800/3800 IS Routers and 3700 Series IS Routers. (For information concerning Progent's remote and onsite consulting services for Cisco routers, see Cisco router configuration and troubleshooting support.)
How Progent Can Help You with Cisco Wireless Solutions
Progent can provide access to a Cisco-certified consultant to help you to plan, deploy, maintain and repair a converged wired and wireless ecosystem incorporating a broad array of wireless technologies that offer the same security, expandability, and ease of management you demand from your wired environment. Progent can help you to maintain legacy Wi-Fi products from Cisco or upgrade efficiently to current 802.11ax-compatible products. Progent's CISM and CISSP security consultants can show you how to design protection into your WLAN and into your business operations. Progent's disaster recovery planning consultants and business continuity planners can show you how to set up the HA features built into Cisco's wireless and wired products so your converged network delivers non-stop return on investment.
Progent's Wireless Site Survey helps you to design and implement a robust wireless network optimized for your environment, offering a wireless ecosystem that provides comprehensive coverage, high performance and density, Quality of Service features to handle IP voice and video, enterprise-class security, and streamlined management. Progent's Wi-Fi Site Survey can be delivered remotely to cut time and expense, or onsite to deal with more complex situations.
For a further look at Progent's wireless consulting services, visit Progent's Wireless LAN Consulting.
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